第二卷  論概念(Book II: Of Ideas)有三十三章;第二十六章 論因果以及別的一些聯繫(Chapter XXVI: Of Cause and Effect, and other Relations)

• 因果概念是從哪裡得來的(Whence the ideas of cause and effect got.)我們的感官注意到不斷變遷的各種事物，我們全然不能不觀察到有一些特殊的性質和實體的存在;而且他們的存在是由其他事物適當的作用和實施所引起的。從這種觀察，我們便得到原因和結果的概念。由此產生的任何簡單或複雜概念，我們便以概括名稱為，原因，而所被產生的，則是，結果。(In the notice that our senses take of the constant vicissitude of things, we cannot but observe that several particular, both qualities and substances, begin to exist ; and that they receive this their existence from the due application and operation of some other being. From this observation we get our ideas of cause and effect. That which produces any simple or complex idea we denote by the general name, cause, and that which is produced, effect.)例如，在我們所謂蠟實體中發現，流動性，這個簡單概念以前是不曾存在於他(蠟)以內的，經常是施以某種程度的熱，我們稱為熱的簡單概念，對蠟的流動性產生聯繫，是它(流動性)的原因，並且叫那種流動性為結果。我們如果看到，木這種實體（是一些簡單觀念的集合體），在經了火以後，轉變成所謂灰的另一種實體（這個複雜觀念亦是各個簡單觀念的集合體，它與所謂木的那些複雜觀念十分差異），則我們便認火是灰的原因，灰是火的結果。因此，不論任何事物，我們只要以為它能產生以前不曾存在過的任何簡單的觀念，或簡單觀念的集合體（不論是實體或情狀），則那種事物便能在我們心中生起原因的聯繫，而且我們亦以原因一詞稱它。(Thus, finding that in that substance which we call wax, fluidity, which is a simple idea that was not in it before, is constantly produced by the application of a certain degree of heat we call the simple idea of heat, in relation to fluidity in wax, the cause of it, and fluidity the effect. So also, finding that the substance, wood, which is a certain collection of simple ideas so called, by the application of fire, is turned into another substance, called ashes ; i.e., another complex idea, consisting of a collection of simple ideas, quite different from that complex idea which we call wood ; we consider fire, in relation to ashes, as cause, and the ashes, as effect. So that whatever is considered by us to conduce or operate to the producing any particular simple idea, or collection of simple ideas, whether substance or mode, which did not before exist, hath thereby in our minds the relation of a cause, and so is denominated by us.)

• 創造、生殖、創作、變化(Creation, generation, making, alteration.) 由此，我們的感官能夠發現物體相互間的作用，所以便使我們得到因與果的觀念，這稱之為”因”可使任何其他的事物，如簡單的概念、實體或型相，(能夠)初始存在;而所謂”果”就是由其他的事物獲得它的初始端點;心靈毫無困難可以判別各種事物的起源區分為兩類：- (Having thus, from what our senses are able to discover in the operations of bodies on one another, got the notion of cause and effect, viz. that a cause is that which makes any other thing, either simple idea, substance, or mode, begin to be ; and an effect is that which had its beginning from some other thing ; the mind finds no great difficulty to distinguish the several originals of things into two sorts : –)

第一，當這事物完全是新作成的，因此任何部分以前都不曾存在;就如當一個物質嶄新的分子初始存在，於自然界中，以前不存在，因而我們稱之為創造。 (First, When the thing is wholly made new, so that no part thereof did ever exist before ; as when a new particle of matter doth begin to exist, in rerum natura, which had before no being, and this we call creation.)

第二，當一件事物由許多分子組成的，是以前存在的(分子)所產生的他們(事物)全體;然而這個特別事物，正是由以經存在的分子所組成的，這個(事物)，總體考量，組成簡單概念的集合，是以前未曾存在的，如這個人、這個卵細胞、玫瑰、或櫻桃等等。 (Secondly, When a thing is made up of particles, which did all of them before exist ; but that very thing, so constituted of pre-existing particles, which, considered all together, make up such a collection of simple ideas, had not any existence before, as this man, this egg, rose, or cherry, &c.)這個，當提到一種實體，經由自然的內在原則正常途徑所產生的，但進行工作經由，或接受，一些外部的行動實體，或”因”，而經由我們覺察不到無意識的方式工作，我們稱之為生殖。( And this, when referred to a substance, produced in the ordinary course of nature by internal principle, but set on work by, and received from, some external agent, or cause, and working by insensible ways which we perceive not, we call generation.)

當這個”因”是外在的，而且這個”果”的產生經由意識的區別，或相鄰位置可辨別的各部分，我們稱之為這就叫做創作; 而這是所有人造的事物。( When the cause is extrinsical, and the effect produced by a sensible separation, or juxta-position of discernible parts, we call it making ;and such are all artificial things. )

當任何簡單概念被產生，而這是以前不曾存在的主體，我們稱之為變化。(When any simple idea is produced, which was not in that subject before, we call it alteration.)

因此，人是生殖出的，畫是創作成的，當任何可察覺以前不曾存在新的性質或簡單概念被產生，他們之中有了變化:以前不存在，現在開始存在的事物，就叫做”果”；而那些引啟存在的事物，”因”。 ( Thus a man is generated, a picture made ; and either of them altered, when any new sensible quality or simple idea is produced in either of them, which was not there before : and the things thus made to exist, which were not there before, are effects ; and those things which operated to the existence, causes. )在這些，以及所有別的情況下，我們能觀察到，使得因果觀念的產生都是由感覺和反省接收來的;而這種聯繫，不論如何廣泛，最終要歸結於他們(因果聯繫)。因為有因果的概念，就足以將任何簡單的概念或實體，視為初始存在，經由(初始存在) 操作一些其他的(簡單的概念或實體)，不需知道那些操作的方式。(  In which, and all other cases, we may observe, that the notion of cause and effect has its rise from ideas received by sensation or reflection ; and that this relation, how comprehensive soever, terminates at last in them. For to have the idea of cause and effect, it suffices to consider any simple idea or substance, as beginning to exist, by the operation of some other, without knowing the manner of that operation.)

• 時間的聯繫(Relations of time.) 時間和空間也是非常大的聯繫基礎;而且一切有限存在事物至少都與他們(時間和空間)有關。……(Time and place are also the foundations of very large relations ; and all finite beings at least are concerned in them…….)
• 場所和廣延的聯繫(Relations of place and extension.)事物相互間的場所或距離聯繫，也是非常明顯可以觀察的;如上、下、離查靈十字一哩、在英格蘭、在倫敦等等。 但是就如同在存續，在廣延和體積，有些概念雖然依據名稱是相對的，卻被認為是確定的;如大和小就是真實的聯繫。 因為在這裡，經過觀察，也已經在心中建立了若干事物品類的型積概念，從那些我們已經最習慣的，我們使他們當為一個標準，藉以類比表示其他的體積。……(The relation also that things have to one another in their places and distances is very obvious to observe ; as above, below, a mile distant from Charing-cross, in England, and in London. But as in duration, so in extension and bulk, there are some ideas that are relative which we signify by names that are thought positive ; as great and little are truly relations. For here also, having, by observation, settled in our minds the ideas of the bigness of several species of things from those we have been most accustomed to, we make them as it were the standards, whereby to denominate the bulk of others……)
• 絕對的名詞經常代表聯繫(Absolute terms often stand for relations.) 同樣，弱和強也只是能力的相對類比表示，和我們當時有的一些較大或較小的能力概念相比較。因此，當我們說一個虛弱的人，我們意指一個沒有如平常人，或如同他體型的人具有的那麼大的推動體力或力量; 這是他的體力和我們對一般男子，或有這種體型男子體力概念的比較。(So likewise weak and strong are but relative denominations of power, compared to some ideas we have at that time of greater or less power. Thus, when we say a weak man, we mean one that has not so much strength or power to move as usually men have, or usually those of his size have ; which is a comparing his strength to the idea we have of the usual strength of men, or men of such a size. )。同樣的當我們說被造物都是脆弱的東西;脆弱也只是一個相對的名稱，表示神和被造物能力的不相稱。如此眾多的名詞，一般的語詞中，僅是代表聯繫（或許是絕大部分），乍看之下似乎沒有如此的表示: 例如船取得必要的貯備。必要和貯備兩者都是相對的文字；一個是與所計畫完成一個航程有的聯繫，另一個是將來用度的（聯繫）。所有的聯繫，他們受限於、歸結於來自感覺和反省所衍生的概念，是太顯而易見的以致於不需要任何的解釋了。(The like when we say the creatures are all weak things ; weak there is but a relative term, signifying the disproportion there is in the power of God and the creatures. And so abundance of words, in ordinary speech, stand only for relations (and perhaps the greatest part) which at first sight seem to have no such signification : v.g. the ship has necessary stores. Necessary and stores are both relative words ; one having a relation to the accomplishing the voyage intended, and the other to future use. All which relations, how they are confined to, and terminate in ideas derived from sensation or reflection, is too obvious to need any explication.)

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